Does your children's school allow cakes to be brought in on Birthdays?

[lottieandmia]

I've been thinking about this as my older dd's school which is a state special school and my younger two dd's school allows the children to bring cakes in to give to their class on birthdays. They also all come out with various chocolates at the end of terms. On special occasions they also all have cake sales.

I was wondering how common this is.

Yes, at both primary & senior achool. Dd1 is nearly 16 & will be taking in either cupcakes or biscuits to eat with her friends (she'll make them herself) at break on her birthday.

It's difficult when someone has an allergy. In that situation I would try to send something that everyone could have - I would never want one person to be left out.

Another reason I'm glad that our school is so relaxed! We're allowed to bring in cake if we wish, sweets to share out, there are no special rules about what we can put in packed lunches (although as far as I'm aware there aren't any children with severe allergies, I would obviously have no problem with a 'no nuts' rule if it was needed dd the peanut butter addict might though, I mean no silly rules like no homemade cakes, no crisps), the children get given treats - they had an Easter egg hunt last week, and we're even allowed time off in term time at the head teachers discretion. Reading Mumsnet I feel very lucky

Our Kindergarten (age 3-6) does a party for each birthday child to which parents are encouraged to come, and to bring wither a cake (yes, to be cut up - I usually bring a tray bake) or cup cakes - we are even allowed to use the kitchen if our child prefers savoury and would like to have hot dogs or pizza! :o But we live abroad, where health and safety has not gone so insane :o The teachers know who has allergies - strangely this seems quite rare here, and on my 6th consecutive year with a child in the KiGa (the 3rd child) I have a child in a group with another who is not allowed cake, but this just means I have been asked to let the KiGa know a week in advance exactly what I am bringing in, so that the parent can send something similar with their child.

School (6+) doesn't allow anything to be brought in to eat in class; school is quite no nonsense and they just sing. But they are absolutely ambivalent if children want to bring in sweets to give out at break or end of school - they don't see it as any of their concern, although in year 1 with my eldest I was unfamiliar with the system and sent home made cookies in, which the teacher did allow them to eat in class but then wrote me a not explaining that they were delicious but I was not to do it again :o

Why do some schools have rules for the sake of rules??

Yes. Cakes, cake pops, biscuits. Mostly homemade. It's a lovely tradition.

ds came out of nursery with a pack of haribo in hes hand I let him have treats but not usually jelly sweets (used to be a dental nurse) I wish they would just put them in their bags not give them directly to the kids hes not even 2 he thinks a jammy dodger is an amazing pudding hes got hes whole childhood to find out about these things.

Yes, both my dss have taken cupcakes in to school for their birthdays, but ds1 is now at senior school and took sweets to hand out in house room. Ds2 friend is dairy intolerant so I always bake with dairy free fat so he's not left out.

Yes cakes or sweets are ok.

Although I actually wish they would ban lollipops. I hate seeing 4 and 5 yr old's running around the playground with lollipops in their mouths. Or worse riding their bikes.

Oh one of DD1 friends has a lot of allergies, so she used to have cream crackers when birthday cake was given out.

No. They are allowed to give out a box of raisins (pointless) but no sweets or cakes. Such a shame.

No - none of my DCs schools have ever done this, although I'm not aware of any rule as such though. There is a little boy in DC3's class with multiple allergies, so we would be very limited in terms of what we could give out.

I'm going against the grain here, but I'm happy with the no sweets/cake arrangement.

Yes they do. Ds3 has a serious tree nut allergy so I send in small home-baked cupcakes to his class. Ds1 and 2 are allowed to take in a small treat such as mini Haribo, which are handed out at the end of the day.

Yes I send in buns for dd's birthday, the teacher and TA's bring in a treat on their birthdays too. Other parents send in chocolate or haribo on their child's birthdays as well, dd brings them home for me because she doesn't eat sweets and chocolate The only rule is no nuts.

A box of raisins. I bet they're thrilled at that prospect!

Not in our school. There are 60 children in a massive split class, in the same big room, so would potentially mean cakes/sweets 60 times a year! I'm happy with it not being allowed.

I know I sound a miserable sod.

But at our school its no nuts, crisps, sweets or chocolate in lunchboxes.

So why is my dd coming out gnawing on a drumstick chewy lolly, when she has so many problems with her teeth?

I know, I know, I should stop her from actually eating it.But it feels mean when she's been given it!

I can see why it would be an issue with allergies but DDs teacher sent us a note saying no citrus fruits, marzipan or nuts in cakes please as some of the children have allergies, she didn't say which children (although most of us know from playdates/birthday parties) but it means we can plan what sort of cakes to make, which seems a far more sensible solution to me than just banning cakes all together.

That's true - but when it's a nut/dairy/gluten/egg allergy that one of DC1's classmates have it doesn't leave much scope, believe me!

No. The birthday child is allowed to bring in fruit to hand out.

Head teacher has written to suggest a book donation instead of birthday cakes and actively discourages this to parents.

Gets ignored, and cakes or sweets get distributed at end of day with children told to ask parental permission before eating it. I am the 'bad parent' according to DD who actually respects the HT request and it does seem I am in a minority!!

We haven't been told not to, so I'm sure it would be fine as long as it was fairy cakes or something else easy to hand out. Not allowed to bring any food with nuts in it already.

Dcs school is fine with this. I tend to do a traybake with whippy frosting and skittles on but others bring in cupcakes or haribo or freddo type sweets. It's a very very small rural school in a close knit community so all the parents know who's got what allergy and to make sure we count the carbs if the child with diabetes is in the same group as the birthday child.